Cream Teas

No mention of how he takes it, but a very relaxing afternoon drinking one's tea with jam/cream filled scone helped in no small part to his tinkling

Good technique for the Devon version there, Chelston, it must be said

If I was being picky though I'd say that you've added too much jam. As you say, Cream is the star of the show with a cream tea, with the jam playing an important but secondary part.

Must say I'm getting rather envious with all this talk of cream teas. Would make one myself, but London supermarkets don't sell Devon cream

Can I have one too please, Chelston?

Although my pictures from Tesco in Chesterfield were inadvertently biased in favour of the “jam on cream” version, I’ll confess to being sympathetic towards both Chelston and Dave on this one. And, furthermore, I believe there is room for diversity and equality of personal preference on the whole issue. Jam, cream, scone – even butter – all have an equal part to play in our cream tea-obsessed society in whatever order. I’d also ask that we leave ethnicity out of this, please, and not to be dismissive of a certain way of constructing a cream tea purely because of its supposed association with Cornwall.

No doubt this will come across as a soggy liberal approach to cream teas and life in general. My track record is such that Alpine Joe will not be surprised to learn that my ideologically-charged, deeply-felt belief is that “all shall have cream teas in the manner of their own choosing”.

My personal preference, for what it is worth, remains to put the cream on first; then the jam. That’s probably following the habit of the “butter first, jam on top” technique that I’ve long applied to toasted teacakes.

There’s also the entirely correct ethical argument that we all have equal rights to say either “scon” or “scone”.

Nonetheless I used the “scon” version in Gainsborough on Saturday (I tend to oscillate between the two) and was given a rather withering look.

I shall conclude, as is often the manner in the very best debates, with the inevitable link to a Guardian article: www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2010/may/20/devon-cornwall-cream-tea

I blame my parents.

Suburban Londoners.

Speaking of Gainsborough, I've just traced the line of the Chesterfield Canal. I never knew of it but may explore.

Nooooooooooooooo! I do not believe it - it has been mathematically "proved" that the Cornish way is best for a cream tea!

link

However, reading further I smell a rat. Apparently, it was a Sheffield mathematician that did the calculations, advocating the "sandcastle" method when creating this culinary delight. Come on, what do they know about sandcastles, I mean they probably haven't even seen a beach... Whether any members on here in the vicinty of Sheffield have influenced matters I just don't know but evidence of foul play is strongly suspected in that it was commissioned by Rodders Cornish Cream - Bah...

I suspect that this debate will run and run.....

Excellent proper cream tea this afternoon at the Rose Cottage Tearooms in Cockington